Drum feed spring assembling machine



P 1942- F. R. ZIMMERMAN 2,294,707

DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed July 31, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 1, 1942. F. R. ZIMMERMAN 2,294,707

DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING' MACHINE Filed July 51, 1940 1a Sheets-Sheet 2 v "Jade Jill/W ea Sept. 1, 1942. F. R. ZIMMERMAN DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed July 31, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet 3 g Jzbnibr: f'ed fi/gnmeman,

Sept. 1, 1942. F. R. ZIMMERMAN DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed July 31, 1940 is Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 1, 1942. F. R. ZIMMERMAN 2,294,707

DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed July 51, 1940 l6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept.1, 1942. R Z ERM N 2,294,707

DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed July 31 1940 1e Sheets-Sheet 6 1 F. R. ZIMMERMAN 2,294,707

DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed July 51, 1940 16 Sheets- Sheet "r Sept. 1, 1942.

Sept. 1, 1942. F.- R. ZIMMERMAN 2,294,707- I DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed July 31, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 Sept. 1, 1942.

' F. R. ZIMMERMAN DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed July 31, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 Sept. 1, 1942. F. R. ZIMMERMAN DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACH INE Filed July 31, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet 10 Sept. 1, 1942.

F. R. ZIMMERMAN DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed July 31, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet l1 Jz/eniar:

P 4 F. R. ZIMMERMAN 2,294,707

DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed July 31, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet l2 Sept. 1, 1942. F. R. ZIMMERMAN DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed July 31, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet l3 Sept. 1, 1942. F. R. ZIMMERMAN 2,294,707

DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed J uly 31 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet l4 Sept. 1, 1942. F. R. ZIMMERMAN 2,294,707

DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed July 51, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 p 1942- v F. R. ZIMMERMAN- 2,294,707

DRUM FEED SPRI NG ASSEMBLING MACHINE flc led July 31, 1940 1e Sheets-Sheet 1e 24 L a Miami Patented Sept. 1, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRUM FEED SPRING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Fred R. Zimmerman, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Nachman Spring-Filled Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application July 31, 1940, Serial No. 348,788

36 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for assembling upholstery springs by means of helical tie-wires and has for its general object to provide an efllcient machine for that purpose which can be operated rapidly.

A particular object of the machine is to provide a carrier for the successive. rows of springs to be assembled which can be loaded by an operator while two preceding rows of springs are being coupled as they attain another position in the machine, each new row of springs being connected with the next preceding row thereof until the number of rows of springs requisite to make up the desired length of the ultimate structure have been connected successively by means of helical tie wires.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the two rows of springs to be connected by means of a tie-wire are brought automatically into proper relative positions in alignment with tie-wire feeding means to cause the tie-wire to encircle overlapped portions of the terminal coils of the springs at both ends of the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for the purpose specified into which the upholstery springs are fed by hand and the operations of which are manually controlled but power actuated.

Another essential object of the invention is to provide rotary means for carrying successive rows of springs into substantially the relative positions wherein they may be joined by the tie-wires and wherein additional means are provided to bring said rows of springs into the exact relative positions to be joined.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanisms for forming and feeding the helical tie-wires into encircling relation to overlapped spring portions together with automatic controls for said mechanisms and automatic means for cutting oif the tie-wire at substantially the instant that said mechanisms stop operations.

Other objects of the invention will be readily understood from or particularly pointed out in the following specification.

A suitable embodiment of the machine is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of the right-hand side portion of the machine, parts thereof being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the left-hand side portion of the machine, parts thereof being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a right-hand side elevation of the machine viewed from the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1. s

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 taken on the lineG-G of Fig. 4.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the line.'l-1 of Fig. 1 on same scale as Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. l on substantially the enlarged scale of Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 9 is a plan sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view taken on the line ill-40 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail plan sectional view taken on the line lll I of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line Ii -l2 of Fig. 2.

. Fig. 13 is a detail perspective view of an actuating arm. I r

Fig. 14 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line M-H of Fig. 2.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged detail fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the line |5-l5 of Fig. 2 with certain parts shown in elevation.

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 15, on a larger scale, showing operating parts of the latter in another position.

Fig. l'lis a view similar to Figs. 15 and 16 showing the same parts in still another position.

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on the line Ill-l8 of Fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a detail perspective view of a spring locating device.

Fig. 20 is a fragmentary detail plan sectional view taken on the line 20-40 of Fig. 15.

Fig. 21 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on the line 2 l-2l of Fig. 20.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 14, the machine includes two parallel spaced apart rotatable drums each of which comprises a pair of end plates I and cross-bars 2, the latter being equally spaced apart. the respective shafts 3 and 4 journalled at their ends in bearings carried by side frame members 5, one of which is shown in Fig. 2.

A series of flat rocking bars 6 are equipped with trunnions journalled in bearings in the end plates l and are disposed in staggered relation to the bars Lparallel with the latter.

Said end plates are mounted rigidly upon The end plates I and cross-bars .I constitute drums which, for convenience, will be'referred to hereinafter as drums A and B, respectively.

The bars I of the drum A are equip at tervals with spring carriers I. Each-of the bars I of the drum A, carries'a substantially truncated cone shaped pin I which is adapted to project into an upholstery spring of the hour-glass type as shown in Fig. 14.

The devices II of the bars I of drum B are devoid of the pins I and are more properly designated as presser members II which cooperate with the carriers I of drum A to effect compression of the springs carried by the latter as the same attain a certain point in their travel, as hereinafter more fully described.

Each of the cross-bars I is equipped with channeled guides II for a helical tie-wire to be disposed into encircling relation to overlapped portions of the upholstery springs as particularly described hereinafter.

As shown in detail in Figs. 20 and 21 and in Fig. 2, each of the pins I is of substantially but distorted truncated cone shape and is equipped with a shank II which is disposed telescopically in an opening in a bar I and is secured therein by means of a cross-pin II, said shank being also telescopically engaged in an opening in the pin I and held rigid therewith by means of a setscrew II. Each pin I is substantially elliptical at its base and becomes circular at its upper end portion in cross section as shown in Fig. 2. The portion of the shank II engaged in the pin I is equipped with an axial pocket II in which a compression spring I I is housed and disposed between the cap I! of said pocket and a cross-pin I 8 which projects through longitudinal slots I9 in the wall of the pocket at a point below the base of the pin I. Said pins II lie at their end portions in recesses IIa (see Figs. 15, 16 and 17) The carrier I comprises a pair of parallel plates each equipped midway between its ends with a substantially triangular slot II in which an end portion of the cross-pin II engages, the latter being normally maintained in firm contact with the apex portions of the openings III by the spring I I and thereby the corner plates I are maintained engaged with the bottom walls of recesses II in the bar I. The pin 9 is recessed at diametrically opposed points to receive the outer middle portions of the carrier plates I which are equipped with arcuate spring-engaging surfaces. Said carrier plate is confined against lateral movement between the side walls of the recesses of the pin I and the side walls of the recess II which extend transversely of the bar I. The top wall of each recess of the pin I is straight and is spaced from the arcuate surface of a carrier-plate I so that the latter is rendered capable of movement relativel to the bar I upon terminal points of the recess II as fulcrums and against the action of the spring II. the purpose of the latter being to hold the carrier I firmly engaged with the bar I against rocking movement on said fulcrums.

The bars I of the drum B are also equipped with said recesses I I, the plate members II being identical with the carrier plates I in shape and size and with respect to being equipped with the triangular openings 20 in which cross-pins 22 engage, the latter acting like the cross-pins II under the influence of tension springs II disposed in sockets II of the bars I and which are anchored at their inner ends upon pins II.

While the rocking bars I are carried by the drums A and B, they are actuated to move to different positions during rotation of said drums by means of stationary cams II and II rigid with one of the side-frame members I. The drum A rotates clockwise and the drum B anti-clockwise as shown in Fig. 12 wherein the cams II and II areclearly illustrated.

Each of the trunnions I is equipped with an adjustable crank arm II which carries an antifriction roller I! at its outer end. Each of said rollers rides upon the surfaceof one of said cams I0 and II which are partially circular as shown at II throughout more than half its circumference. Each cam has a projection II equipped with a surface II tangential to its circumference and Joins a short substantially flat surface II which is almost perpendicular to a radius of the shaft I, and a substantially vertical but slightly inclined surface II which Joins asurface II to form a very shallow recess. Opposed to said recess is a rigid cam member I! which cooperates with said recess to form a guide for the antifriction rollers of the several crank-arms II to prevent said arms from moving by gravity out of their predetermined paths of travel.

The dot and dash lines II indicate the positions of the several rocking bars I in their respective positions, when the crank arms II are disposed in the positions determined by points of contact of their respective anti-friction rollers with the surfaces of the cam III. One of the crank-arms II is shown in detail in Fig. 13.

The cam II is identical with the cam 30 but is reversed in position.

When the crank arms 26 farthest to the right of the axis of shaft I, and the crank-arms II farthest to the left of the axis of shaft 4 attain the positions shown in Fig. 12, then the pairs of bars 6 controlled by said crank-arms and cams 30 and II will be almost parallel with each other and the arms I of the left-hand pair will be directly opposed to those of the right-hand pair. By reference to Fig. 18 it will be noted that when said left-hand pair of bars I is in the position of Fig. 12, the springs carried by the pins 9 of said bars are disposed in overlapped relation to each other over the guide channel II for the helical tie wire, said channels 39 being extensions of the wider guide channels II mentioned above.

The springs carried by the pins 9 are of greater length than the distance between the faces of the spring-carrier bars I of drum A and bars II of drum B so that when thelatter and bars I are disposed in the position indicated by the dot and dash lines 38 of Fig. 12 last described, said springs will be slightly compressed. The positions of said springs at this time is shown clearly in Fig. 15 at the instant of completion of the operation of tying them together by means of helical tie-wires advanced through the guide channels II and II of the cross-bars I of the respective drums A and B.

As the last-named respective pairs of bars I and the members I and I I mounted thereon approach the positions illustrated in Figs. l5, l6

and 17, the terminal coils of the pairs of springs mounted upon the rows of said pins 9 associated with the members I, are brought into engagement with pairs of stops II (see Fig. 18), one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 19. Said stops II are equipped with shanks II which project through openings in the bars I and are held firmly in position by set screws I Ia in a conventional manner. Said stops II are adjustable about the axes of the shanks II and, as shown, are somewhat arcuate longitudinally and substantially triangular in cross-section.

. Said stops cooperate with the pins 9 tobring the terminal coils of the springs of the rows of springs to be encircled and coupled by the tiewires, into the overlapped position over the guide channels 99 as shown-in Fig. 18.

After the two rows of springs are disposed in the position of Fig. 14, they are Joined by means of tie-wires at both ends and the tying of the same is followed by movement of the members 6 of each of the drums A and B that carry the members 9, 9 and [0, to the positions shown at the lower ends of Figs. 17 and 18 by cooperation of the crank-arms 26 of said members6 with the cams 39 and 3|, respectively, and during this arcuate movement of the drums A and B, combined with the swing of the last-named arms 6 relatively thereto, the pins 9 are withdrawn from the lower set of springs.

During the downward movement of the lower row of springs last referred to the same pass between pairs of opposed guide bars 4lb which are convergent toward each other upwardly and have curved divergent upper ends.

As shown in Fig. 16 the bars 9 associated with the pins 9 carrying the last-named row of springs are so positioned at substantially the instant of release of the pins 9 from said springs that they become slightly tilted by engagement with bar 2 just above the same.

To facilitate withdrawal of the pins 9 from the springs as last described one of the plates 9 and [9 respectively, of each pair thereof is provided with a recess 8a and Illa respectively, shown in dotted lines in Figs. 20 and 21, and in full lines in Fig. 14 which permits the springs to tip slightly with respect to the pins 9 as the lower parts of their terminal coils become engaged with the left-hand guide bar of Fig. 14.

The movements of the drums A and B are intermittent and each such movement comprises one-seventh of a revolution simultaneously of both drums, the mechanism for effecting such movements being described hereinafter.

Pairs of suspended arms 42 are mounted upon parallel row shafts 43 (Fig. 4) and are equipped at their lower ends with channeled guide shoes 44 which cooperate with the guide channels I I to receive and guide the helical tie wires, in con- Junction with the guide grooves l I and the channels 39, into encircling relation to the overlapped spring portions. Pairs of said arms 42 arranged to be opposed to the channels II are disposed in staggered relation to the pins 9 and members 19 of the respective drums A and B and are swung automatically to the position shown in Figs. 14, 15 and 18 and from said positions shown in Figs. 16 and 1'7, their movement to the position of Figs. 14, 15 and 18, preceding the feeding of the tie-wire into encircling relation to the overlapped spring portions. Their return movement to the position of Figs. 16 and 17 precedes the next arcuate movement of the drums A and B.

The helical tie-wires are formed and fed into the guide channels 39 and I l by means of a conventional type of mechanism siuted to the purpose which, as shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 11 includes two pairs of wire feed rolls 45 and 46 respectively which are rotatably mounted upon the machine frame beyond one end of each of the drums. These feed rolls push the wire through lindrical bar 49 equipped with a helical groove to snugly fit the wire and which forms the same to a helical contour of predetermined pitch. Said bar is held against all movement by means of the set-screw 49a.

The axis of each bar 49 is aligned with the axis of a guide channel I I during each interval of rest of the drums and by means of mechanism hereinafter described, the feed rolls 45 and 46 are actuated immediately following the movement of the levers or arms 42 to the position of Fig.. 15 and such actuation is stopped as soon as the tiewire has attained the predetermined length required to encircle overlapped portions of springs of two rows thereof. Thereupon the operation of the rolls 45 and 46 stops the tie-wire being then cut of! adjacent the end of the tube 49 by means shown in Figs. 10 and 11 and thereupon the levers or arms 42 move back to the position of Fig. 17 and then the drums rotate through the aforesaid arc.

The tie-wire cut-off devices 5| and mechanism for actuating the same is shown in detail in Figs. '7 and 10. Each of said cut-off devices acts as a shear member cooperating with a shear plate 52 rigid with a cross-bar 2 of the respective drums A and B, as best shown in Fig. 11, the tubes 48 being also shown in Fig. 2 as extending almost to the shear plates 52.

The gearing for actuating the drums A and B is best shown in Fig. 3 wherein the shaft 53 is the drive shaft carrying a spur-gear wheel 54 which meshes with the spur-gear wheel 55 on a countershaft 59. The gear-wheel 55 meshes with the gear wheel 51 on the countershaft 59 which carries the spur-gear pinion 59 meshing with a spurgear wheel 69 on a countershaft 6!. The latter carries a spur-gear pinion 92 which meshes with the spur-gear wheel 63 which actuates the drum A and which meshes with the spur-gear wheel 64 which drives the drum B.

The spur-gear wheels 54 and 55 also mesh with idle spur-gear wheels 65 and 66 which mesh with spur-gear wheels 61 and 69 whose functions are described hereinafter.

The spur-gear wheel 54 is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 53 which is rigid with the toothed clutch member 69 (Figs. 1. and 5) and cooperates with a companion clutch member 19 loosely mounted on said shaft 53.

The drive shaft 53 is suitably geared to a source of power for continuous rotation at low speed.

The clutch-member I9 is slidable relatively to the member 69 and the cam 12. The latter is rigid with the spur-gear wheel 13 which meshes with a spur-gear wheel 14 on the counter-shaft 56 (Fig. 4)

bending cams 41 and thence through openings in tubular members 49 projecting toward the drums. In each tube 49 there is mounted a cy- The clutch-member III is moved into engage- 'ment with the clutch member 69 by means of the spring I5 (Fig.5) upon swinging the release lever 16 of the rock-shaft I'I upwardly, the said lever 16 being equipped with a cam end 18 which serves to throw the clutch-member 19 back to normal position when said lever 15 is restored to its, normal position of Fig. l by releasing the foot lever 19 of rock-shaft I1 and causing return of the latter to its normal position responsively to the action of the tension spring 19. The structure described in this paragraph is mainly that pertinent to a conventional punch-press clutch.

The cam 12 (Fig. 5) actuates the rocking lever 99 which is pivotally mounted between its ends on a bracket 9| of the frame and is equipped at its other end with arms 92 operatively associated with the bearing of the shaft 45a. of the upper feed-roll 45 to throw the same into engagement withthe helical tie wire to effect feeding of the latter through the forming mechanism shown in Fig. 9, said cam 12 being provided with a peripheral recess 83 (Fig. 4) in which the roller 84 of the lever 88 lies during intervals of nonrotation of the cam 12. A similar cam 12a is mounted on the countershaft 56. (Fig. 7.)

Also rigid with the cam 12 and spur-gear wheel 13 is a cam 85 equipped with a projection 86 which actuate the lever 81 (Fig. 7) connected with a pair of links 88. The latter are connected with crank arms 88 of parallel rockshafts la which carry the cut-off members 5|. Said lever 81 is equipped between its endswith an anti-friction roller 88 normally disposed in the path of the projection 86, the latter being shown in its idle position between intervals of rotation of the cam 85.

Rigid with the cams l2 and 85 is a cam 8| (Fig. 4)which cooperates with the cam am to actuate the levers 43a rigid with rock-shafts 43 to throw the levers 42 into the position of Fig. 4 during intervals of non-rotation of the several cams last-above described. Stops 43b are associated with thelevers 42 for obvious reasons, the said levers ,42 and 430 being held normally at the outer limits of their relative movement by a suitable spring or springs 42a, Fig. 14.

Aligned with and opposed to the cam 85 on the countershaft 56 (Fig. 7) is a cam 82 which operates to actuate the lever 83 mounted upon a rock-shaft 84 and which is connected between its ends with one end of a link 85. The latter is connected at its other end with the punch-press clutch control lever 86 mounted upon the counter-shaft 58 in'a conventional manner to effect rotation of said shaft 58 through a single revolution following each actuation of said lever 86 by said cam 82.

This actuation of the shaft 58 effects a rotation of the spur-gear wheels 51 and spur-gear pinion 58. The latter effects a partial revolution of the spur-gear wheel 68 and causes the pinion 62 to drive the drums A and B through the are necessary to move the pins 8 of the several carriers thereof from one station to the next.

For purposes of simplification the shaft 58 will be referred to hereinafter as the indexing shaft and the punch-press clutch associated with said shaft will be referred to as the indexing clutch.

The spur-gear wheel 54 actuates the spurgear wheel 55 which is loosely mounted upon the shaft 56. Wheels 54 and 56 actuate the wire feed rolls 45 and 46 in an obvious manner (see Fig. 3). Wheel 56 also actuates wheel 51 rigid with the shaft 58 upon which the spur-gear pinion 58 is loosely mounted, the same being engaged for rotation by said shaft 58 by means of the punch-press clutch controlled by the lever 86.

Rigid with the rock-shaft 84 (Figs. 1 and 4) is a foot-lever 81 which may be operated independently of the foot lever 18 to cause the drums A and B to be rotated while the remainder of the mechanisms except those directly associated with the indexing shaft 58 remain idle, it being obvious that so long as the punch-press clutch of the shaft 53 is not tripped, the rotation of the feed rolls 45 and 46 will be ineffective to feed tie-wire and that the cut-off mechanism will also remain idle.

The cams l2 and 12a hold the clutch member 10, spur-wheel I3 and cams 85 and 82 against rotation in cooperation with the levers 88 and 88a and the recesses 83 and 83a.

If lever 18 is depressed and lever 81 remains idle, the punch-press clutch control lever 88 will be operated by the cam 82 as above described.

Operation While the operation of the machine is probably clearly. comprehensible from the foregoing specification, a brief review thereof follows:

Reference is had first to Fig. 14 wherein the uppermost rows of pins 8 of the drums A and B are shown to be loaded with upholstery springs and the next forward two rows thereof, also loaded, are disposed in the position wherein the drums A and B are at rest while the helical tie-wires are being formed and are advanced into encircling relation to the rows of springs mounted on said last-named pins 8.

As the drums B rotate in unison in respectively opposite directions due to the intermeshing spur-gear wheels 63 and 64, the devices III of the drum B "become opposed to the rows of pins last referred to and engaged with the outer ends of the springs carried by said last-named pins. The spaces between opposed devices 8 and I8, respectively, is slightly less than the length of the springs and thus the latter become slightly compressed and, hence, more firmly engaged with the said devices 8 and I8 and in properly overlapped relation for encirclement by the tie wires by virtue of their engagement with the stops 48.

As soon as the tie-wires of length determined by the rotation of the wire feed rolls 45 and 48 during the period of their engagement of the tiewires as determined by the 'arcuate surface portionsof the cams l2 and 12a and fixed by the length of the recesses 83 of said cams, has been fed through the guide channels II, the cut-oi! devices are operated and further feed stops automatically at substantially this instant due to completion of a single rotation of the shafts 53 and 56 and the reentry of the rollers 84 and 84b into the recesses 83 and 83b.

During this operation, the arms 42 are positioned as in Fig. 14 with the guide shoes of said arms disposed in engaging relation to the tiewires.

As the assembling of rows of springs begins, the first operation consists-in loading the uppermost pins 8 of drum A with springs in order of succession from right to left. As soon as the right hand row of these two rows has been loaded with springs, the operator depresses the lever 81 and causes the drums A and B to rotate without eifecting actuation of any of the several cams above described. Then after loading the lefthand one of the two rows of springs, the operator again depresses the lever 81 thus bringing the two rows of springs into the overlapped relation above described and then loads the next row of pins 8 with springs.

The operator then depresses the lever 18 thereby causing the shafts 58 and 56 to rotate through a complete revolution in unison and in respectively opposite directions.

At the instant of depression of the foot lever 18, the several cams, devices actuated thereby, are positioned as best shown in Figs. 4, 5, 7 and 8, the rollers 45 and 46 being disengaged from the tie-wires, the projection 86 of the cam disposed past the roller 88 on the lever 81, the projection of cam 82 disposed past the roller of lever 83, and the arms 42 disposed in the position 

